---
title: Navi: an interactive tool for quickly finding shell commands
url: https://blog.krasovskiy.team/en/navi-an-interactive-tool-for-quickly-finding-shell-commands/
date: 2026-07-17
lang: en
source: blog.krasovskiy.team
---

# Navi: an interactive tool for quickly finding shell commands

Navi is the one tool that has been missing for anyone who has ever been lost in the maze of shell commands trying to remember the correct syntax or key for `ffmpeg` or `kubectl`. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of tabs in the browser or looking through old notes, it is enough to type `navi', select the desired one-liner from the collection — and the command is already in the buffer or is executed instantly. And thanks to the integration with `fzf`, the search works faster than you can remember what you were looking for.

## What is Navi and how it makes the command line easier

Navi is a tool that turns working with the command line into a fast and convenient process. Instead of memorizing dozens of commands or flipping through documentation, you simply call up Navi, look for the one-liner you want in your _cheatsheets_, and instantly get the result: the command is either pasted into the terminal or executed immediately. Everything is interactive - you choose an option, substitute arguments according to the prompts, and you're done.

Written in Rust, Navi integrates with `fzf` or `skim` for a lightning-fast search: just enter a few letters to filter hundreds of commands. Supports three modes of operation — as a separate command, a shell-widget (for example, for `zsh`) or a tmux-widget, so it adapts to any workflow. And most importantly, your _cheatsheets_ can be stored in a git repository, automatically updated and shared with the team. It's like a [personal notepad](https://blog.krasovskiy.team/en/obsidian-as-a-second-brain-a-system-of-notes/) with commands that is always at hand.

Why is it necessary? Imagine: you're setting up CI/CD, and instead of googling "how to check git changes for the last week", you just type `navi`, find a ready-made one-liner with `git log --since="1 week ago"` and execute it in seconds. Or are you looking for a command to mass rename files according to a template — Navi will prompt you with `rename` or `mmv`, and you can immediately substitute your options. Saves time and nerves, especially when working with rarely used but critical commands.

## How Navi helps developers and DevOps engineers

Imagine: you have again forgotten the `kubectl` syntax for viewing feed logs or the `ffmpeg` command for video conversion. Instead of Googling or flipping through notes, you press `Ctrl+G` — and Navi instantly pulls up a list of relevant commands from your personal cheatsheet. You choose the right one, substitute the arguments according to the prompts — and the command is already in the buffer or is executed immediately. This is not magic, but a habit that saves dozens of minutes every day.

Navi works wherever you want: as a separate command in the terminal, a shell widget (for example, for `zsh` or `bash`) or even as a tmux widget. No need to memorize hotkeys for each tool - just one combination is enough to call up Navi anywhere. Integration with `fzf` or `skim` makes searching lightning fast: enter a few letters and see only relevant options. And thanks to the [Rust foundation](https://blog.krasovskiy.team/en/mesh-llm-a-distributed-rust-server-for-local-llm-and-gpu-clustering/), even large collections of commands can be opened in a matter of milliseconds.

Navi's versatility is its main advantage. Using `tmux`? Configure the call via `prefix + n`. Prefer a clean terminal? Just type `navi`. Work in multiple environments? Store cheatsheets in a git repository and they're always at hand, synced between machines. For DevOps engineers, this means less switching between tabs and faster access to critical commands, and for developers, the ability to focus on code rather than memorizing syntax.

Automation is not just a word here. Navi lets you update command collections via git, so your cheatsheets are always up to date. Added a new team? `git push` was made - and it is now available on all devices. No need to manually copy notes or search for them in different files. It's like having a [personal assistant](https://blog.krasovskiy.team/en/agentrq-a-platform-for-integrating-ai-agents-into-workflows/) who knows all your work commands and is ready to prompt them at any moment.

## Storing and updating cheatsheets in Navi: advantages of git repositories

Keeping cheatsheets in git repositories is like having a personal library of commands that is always at hand and updated with one click. Navi lets you plug in any public or private repository, and your team collections are automatically synced across devices. For example, added a new command on the work laptop - it will appear on the home PC or server after `git pull`. No need to manually copy files or save changes.

Sharing collections also becomes easier. Create a repository for the team, add cheatsheets to it with frequently used commands for deployment, logging or setting up the environment, and everyone will have access to the current version. Navi supports multiple repositories at the same time, so you can keep separate collections for different projects or tasks. And thanks to the integration with `fzf`, finding the right command takes seconds, even if there are hundreds of entries in the repository.

The update happens automatically when you start Navi or with the `navi repo update` command. This is especially convenient when colleagues add new useful one-liners — you get them without extra steps. For those working with private repositories, there is support for SSH keys and tokens, so access remains secure. In 2026, when teams are becoming increasingly complex and time is more valuable, this kind of automation saves dozens of hours a year.

## Navi for AI and SEO professionals: how the tool increases productivity

SEO specialists and AI analysts face dozens of routine commands every day: parsing logs, processing large CSVs, automating API requests or running Python scripts for analytics. Navi turns this chaos into a system. Instead of memorizing or googling one-liners like `awk '{print $1}' access.log | sort | uniq -c | sort -nr` for traffic analysis — just type `navi search "log traffic"` and the tool will instantly substitute the right command from your collection. Support for argument substitution (eg file path) saves another 2-3 minutes on each operation.

For AI professionals, Navi is quick access to command templates for Docker, GPU monitoring, or running models. For example, instead of manually writing `nvidia-smi --query-gpu=utilization.gpu --format=csv`, you can save this one-liner in a cheatsheet and call it by keyword. Integration with `fzf` allows you to filter teams by tags (eg #ml, #seo, #automation), and sync via Git to share collections with the team or update them from public repositories.

The result? 30-40% less time is spent automating one typical task (for example, cleaning data before training a model). For SEO teams, this means faster analysis of backlinks, server logs or report generation — without the need to write scripts from scratch. Navi does not replace knowledge of Bash or Python, but it makes their use more efficient.